Method and apparatus for controlling the operation of automatic mechanism such as automatic guns



Aug. 14, 1945. H. TREVASKIS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THEOPERATION 0F AUTOMATIC MECHANISM SUCH AS AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed June. 12,1942 4 SheetsSheet 1 m Ci 1 l: 3

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METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AUTOMATICMECHANISM SUCH AS AUTOMATIC GUNS Aug. 14, 1945.

TREVASKIS 2,382,352 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATIONOF AUTOMATIC' MECHANISM SUCH AS AUTOMATIC GUNS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledJune 12, 41942 0 @Q 0 mm Aug. 14, 1945. H. TREVASKIS ,3

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AUTOMATICMECHANISM SUCH AS AUTOMATIC GUNS Filed June 12, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Patented Aug. 14, 1945 METHOD. AND APPARATUS FOR. CONTROL- LING THEOPERATION OF AUTOMATIC. ECH S -AUT MATI GUN Henry Trevaskis, 'Solihull,England, 'assignor to Dunlop Rubber Company Limited, London County,England, aBritish company l Application June 12, 1942, Serial No 446,832"InGreatBritain April 18; 1941 11 Claims. (CL 89-28) My inventionconcerns an improved method and apparatus for controlling the remoteoperation of automatic mechanism, as for example the firing of automaticguns on aircraft and ha for its purpose to enablesuch guns to be firedorthe apparatus to be. operated from a remote control such as a firingbutton or switch by apparatus in-. cluding devices floperable Iwholly byelectrical means and which maybe mounted directly on the gun foroperationby electrical'connections extending from eachj'gun or guns tothe firing button..

Accordingto this invention I provide a method of controlling theoperationoi apparatus, wherein said operation is efie iled or controlledby the release of kinetic energy from a continuously rotatingbody.'- i rv The kinetic energy may be derived from a com tinuously rotating bodyconveniently provided in the form of asmall electric motor having afiy-' wheel which stores energy to be used for instance for releasingthe sear of. the gun.

Said energy" may be transmitted .from the flywheel to the sear of th gunthrough a member such'as 'an operating lever pivoted'b'etween' its ends,one end'of such lever making'operative cone tact with suitable searrelease mechanism ofthe gun, whilethe other end is displaceable into contact with the flywheelor a part associated there with.

To ensure that the kinetic energy stored in the fiywheel'is used to' thebest effectpa timing device may be provided so that the operating levercan be moved fully'in'to' the path of a striking pin projecting from theflywheel when the pin is at such angular displacement from theleverjthat' the pin has a predetermined minimumitravel before it strikesthe lever. i I v Forthis' purpose the operating lever, coacts'with agate or locking device movable into or outof the-'operativebr lockingposition by means of a solenoid energised from the electric circuitwhich includes the gun firing'button or switch.

*The gate or locking device may be formed to retain the operating leverin the locked or firing position throughout the whole time the gunfiring button. is depressed, the motor continuing to rotate'freely. i rP When the firing button or'switch is released the solenoid is de-energised; and the gate or locking device andthe operating lever returnto their initial position whereupon the sear. oi the gun is mov torestrain the breech block and the gun cease o fi e The various featuresof myinventi'on are illusrated Way of, example in the accompanyingdrawing-inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view or a gun firing unit constructed accordingto my invention, and shows the. unit separated from a mounting platewhich is attachable to. the gum-partsof the unit being detached to showdetails of consiutuctio n.v Fig. 2. is a side elevation partly incentral vertical section .1 the line A.-A ofFig'. 3. Fig. 3'ijs' 'a planview of the unit including base plate and with the lid removed to showthe insidemechanism. Fi 4' is a sectional end view on the line, B-B ofFig. 3,

' and shows the unit fitted to the gun which is repa. is. a sectional.view

resented bydotted lines. Fig.5 is 'a sectional elevationontheline 0-0:of Fig. 3. Fig- 61is a part sectional elevation on the 1ine D.D'of 3,Fig. 7 is afragm'entary side elevation showing the gate mechanismhereinafter described. Fig. taken on' the line E-lil of Fig.3.. "i

According: to a cflnvem'ent embodiment ofmy invention the unit comprisesacast body I formed with a generally cylindricalhousingfor an electricmotor 2 and with a platform 3 shapedfon the inside toform a V-shapedprojection'which is of T c o s s ct and wh ch slicl b e a e with a Vshaped slot 4 in a baseplate 5 which isbolted-tothegun. v

Y'llhe unit is adapted to be. fixed tothe'bas'e plate by'means of aquick; release deviceomprising a pin 6 (Fig. 6.), rdtatably mounted intheouter end or the platform 3, the pin having a longitudinal groove 1and a circumferential groove, .8 hich latte engages a peg' 9,.fixed tothe'platform ll.

A blade spring IB' is riveted to thejtop of the pin 6 and a bent stripIi limit the free bending o fthebladespring. f

To detach the unit I theplate 5. the blade spring 'I 0 and strip. H are'movedthrough 90.from' the position shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6 into thepositionshown in Fig. 1 which brings the longitudinal slottintolinewithfzthe peg 9: the pint can nowbe pulled outwardly within thelimit of the slot 7 o'th reby disengage the rojectingend of thepin Efromthehole l2 in-the plate 5.:

When the unit is fastened to the. base plate the blade spring l0; clipsver a web between the platform 3'andcasing I. V

' The general housing 'for the motor is bored out tosecure a permanentmagnet lliwhich; is surroundled by two semi-cylindrical pole pieces Fi Zand and the. permanentmasnet drille to. receive a'cen-tral pin l'5.on' ahousin'g for the lower ball bearing of' the armature shaft.

The upper ball bearing is mounted in a housing ring I a which is shapedto engage the pole pieces I4.

The armature shaft projects into a recess in the top of the main body ofthe unit and a flywheel I6 is suitably ,fixedto the end of theshaft forinstance by means of a suitable ipeg.

The top face of the flywheel I6 has a projecting peg II rigidly fixedthereto which is adapted to be operatively associated with a lever I8which is freely mounted on a spindle 33-. fixed to the casing I wherebythe lever can be tilted to be inthe path of the peg I! on the flywheelI6, or raised out of contact into theposition shown in Fig. 4. Y

The means for tilting the lever I9 into or out of the path of the peg I'I comprise a tubular gate I9 mounted to rotate on trunnions at eachend. en;

gaging screws in the casing I.

The gate has a longitudinal slot of two diametrically opposite sides andthe lever l8 passes through this slot, one of the slots being enlargedat one end to form alocking shoulder 22 Fig. 7. 1

The lever I8 is moved into engagement with the locking shoulder 22 bymeans ofa" catch-piece 23 pivotally mounted inside the gate Handspringloaded by a torsion spring 24. 1

The gate I9 is partly rotated to tilt the lever by'virtue of itsconnection to the core 25 of a solenoid 26-Fig. 5,the core' 25: beingconnected to the gate by a link 21 shown also in Fig; 3.

'A'spring 28 normally returns the core 25 and gate I9 to the inoperativeposition in which the lever I8 is raised outof the pathof the peg H.

The lever I8 is non-rotatably connected to a cam 29 (Figs. 3 and 4)which is freely rotatable on",the spindle 33, ball bearings beingmounted betweenthe underside of the cam and the face of afixed plate 30Fig. 4: the cam 29 has a: pair 2I;on each? of upstanding lugs 3 I Fig.3which engage notches in the lever I8 and similar notches in 'a' washer32 fitted on the spindle 33, the washer having a projecting centralportion of square'shape to form an anchorage for a torsion spring34, theopposite end f which is anchored tothe case I, the torsion springserving to' return the lever and 0am to the inoperative position shown.

The cam 29 is formed with a cam surface 29a at its periphery and thiscam surface contacts a'roller 35 Figs. 3 and 4 freely mounted on a pin36 which'passes through trigger 31.

The pin 36' is mounted in the free end of a lever 38 which is freelypivoted on a pin 39 fixed tothe casing I. j The trigger pin passesthrough a; slot in the base of the casing I and is shaped to provideshoulders 40which engage the sear of the gun shown diagrammaticallyin'Fig. 4'."

The trigger pin 31 is held inengagement with the sear by the springloaded'plunger 4| shown inbroken lines in Fig. 4 which bears uponthesear at one side of its pivotpbint.

To ensure that the lever I8 will be moved fully shown in Fig. 3; butwhen the peg I'I reaches. the

the sear release pinor position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the flatside of the projection 42 is clear of the blade spring 43 and the leverI8 can then be moved down so that it subsequently comes into the path ofthe peg II.

Withthe lever I8 moved down and during the movement of the peg II fromthe position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full lines, thecurved surface of the projection 42 will deflect the blade spring 43,and when the peg II contacts the lever the latter is deflected andconsequently theblade spring can move back to its initial position.

Electrical current is supplied to the motor 2 and solenoid 26 through acable 44 the leads of which are connected to a terminal post 45 securedto the casing I by a screwed sleeve 46, and this terminal post 45 hasseveral leads fastened thereto which are connected to the motor brushes4! and windings of the solenoid 26.

The motor brushes 4'! are fitted in tubular housings 48 carried by aninsulating block 49 Figs. 1 and 2, these blocks being positioned by aninsulating strip 50 engaging a slot 5I in each side of the casing I. e v

The brush assembly is held by a curved blade spring 52 which is retainedby a cover plate 53 having inturned edges to engage grooves 54 formed onthe casing, the top of the casing is closed by a cover plate 55.

e The operation of the'apparatus is as follows: The solenoid 25 isconnected in an electric circuit including a gun firing button and themotor 2 is in a separate electric circuit including an independentswitch.

The motor circuit is'first closed and the flywheel immediately speeds upto its full revolutions: on closing the circuit connected to the gunfiring b'uttonthe solenoid is energised to move the core of the solenoidwhereby the link 21 will effect partial rotation of the gate I9 aboutits Providing that'the timing device between the flywheel Illand leverI8 is in a favourable position as previously described,'the peg H on theface off'the flywheel engages tangentially the trailing edge of thelever I8, thus moving the lever across theslot in the gate I9.

' 'As this lever moves along the slot it is automatically pushed up intothe locking slot 22 and simultaneously lifted out of the path of the'peg I1 by'means of the spring loaded catch pieces 23 and the lever is'retained in this 'positionso long as the solenoid circuit is closed;

The motor and flywheel continue to rotate freely while the lever is heldin the locking slot in the gate.

The movement of the lever across the gate and into the locking slotcauses a. partial rotation of the cam 291by. virtue of the interlockingengagement of the lugs 3 I-on. the cam with notches in the sides ofthelever. r

The cam 29 raises the trigger pin 31 to thereby move the sear out ofengagement with the breech I block of the gun and this continues to fireso long The gate I9 is thereby rotated to the position shown in Fig. 4,the lever IB-dpre'ssingthe latch 23 against the spring 24 asthe lever islliftedfto' disengage the lockingslot and shoulder 22 from thelever I8which thereby returns tothe'position the camla is returned toits initialposition thus I releasing thetrigger pin-'31, and, due to the springload'exertedby the plunger ll 'on the sear, the latter 'is' moved into-a'position to engage and hold. the breech block of the gun.- I fThesolenoidand/or'lockinggate ma be bal anced' so that thegate wilhnotbe accidentally moved during aerobatic's.-- Itwill also be appreciatedthat-'the apparatus described above introduces a further-"factor ofsafety; since -the 'gun cannot'be 'fired inadvertent- 1y unless-themotor isrunning-when the-'firing buttonisoperated. Whilst my' invention:has been more 7 particu larly'describedwith reference to automatic gunfiring mechanism it is to be understood that it may be suitably modifiedfor remote control of 7 other automatic machinery or apparatus.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises an electric motor, a rotating elementdriven by said motor and having a projection rotating about the axis ofrotation of said element, a cam mounted for movement from a normalposition and comprising an arm pivoted thereon, said arm extending overthe path of rotation of said projection, means arranged to move said armin a direction transverse to the plane of movement of said projectioninto the path of said projection whereby said arm is engaged by saidprojection to move said arm and cam out of said normal position, a latchconstructed and arranged to hold said arm and cam out of said normalposition, and means actuated by said cam during its movement out ofnormal position for moving said sear.

2. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises an electric motor, a rotating elementdriven by said motor and having a projection rotating about the axis ofrotation of said element, a cam mounted for movement from a normalposition and comprising an arm pivoted thereon and extending over thepath of rotation of said projection, means arranged to move said armdownwardly into the path of said projection whereby said arm is engagedby said projection to move said arm and cam out of said normal position,a latch constructed and arranged to hold said arm and said cam out ofsaid normal position, a projection on said rotating element constructedand arranged to hold said arm from movement into the path of saidrotating projection throughout a part of said path of movement and meansactuated by said cam during its movement out of normal position formoving said sear.

3. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises an electric motor, a rotating elementdriven by said motor and having a projection rotating about the axis ofrotation of said element, a cam mounted for movement from a normalposition and comprising an arm pivoted thereon and extending over thepath of rotation of said projection, means to move said arm downwardlyinto the path of said projection whereby said arm is engaged by saidprojection to move said arm and cam out of said normal position,releasable means to hold said arm out of normal position and meansactuated by said cam during its movement-out of normal positioniormoving said'isear; I I

.4. Control mechanism :for actuating a i breech block-releasing sear "ofan autom'aticgun which comprises an electric-'motor, a rotating elementdriven-by said motor and having a projection rotating about the axis ofrotationof said ele ment, a cam mounted for movement from a normalposition and comprising an actuating arm pivoted thereon and extendingover the path of rotation of said projection, means arranged to movesaid arm downwardly into the path oi said projection, said meanscomprising a rocking element slidablyengaging said arm, a crankarmsecured-to said rocking element and an electro' magnet connected tosaid crank arm to tilt said actuating arm whereby said actuating arm isen-" gagediby said projection to movesaid actuating arm and cam out ofnormal position, a latch constructed and arranged to hold said actuatingarm and cam out of normal position and means actuated by said cam duringits movement out of normal position for moving said sear.

5. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises an electric motor, a rotating elementdriven by said motor and having a projection rotating about the axis ofrotation of said element, a pivoted actuating element for said searhaving a cam and an actuating arm, said arm extending over the path ofrotation of said projection, said arm being constructed and arranged torotate said element and cam and to tilt transversely of the plane ofmovement of the cam, tilting means comprising an element slidablyengaging said arm and having a crank arm and an electromagnetconnectedto said crank arm, said tilting means constructed and arranged to tiltsaid actuating arm axially relative to and into the path of saidprojection to rotate said arm and said cam-by the movement of saidprojection and means to transmit movement from said cam to said searactuating element and a retaining latch constructed and arranged to,hold said arm from swinging back into the path of said projection.

6. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises a motor having a fly Wheel and aprojection extending axially therefrom at a distance from the axis ofrotation of said fly wheel, a cam mounted for movement from a normalposition and comprising an arm pivoted thereon, means arranged to movesaid arm transversely into the path of said projection and comprising arock shaft having a sliding engagement with said arm and constructed andarranged to permit said arm to slide lengthwise thereof and rotatable tomove said arm transversely into and out of the path of said projectionwhereby said arm is engaged by said projection to move said arm and camout of normal position, a latch on said rock shaft constructed andarranged to hold said arm and cam out of normal position and meansactuated by said cam during its movement out of normal position formoving said sear.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 and electromagnetic means for rocking saidrock shaft.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 and means for preventing the movement ofsaid arm into the orbit of said projection throughout a part of therotation of said projection.

9. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear of anautomatic gun which comprises a rotating fly wheel having a projectingsurface, a cam mounted for movement from a normal position andcomprising an arm pivoted thereon, means arranged to move said armintothe path of,said projecting surface, whereby said arm is en aged by saidprojecting, surface to move said arm and cam out of said normalposition, a latch constructed and arranged toahold said arm and ,cam outof said normal position, and means actuated by said cam during itsmovement out of normal position for moving said sear.

10. Control mechanism forgactuating a breech block releasing'sear of anautomatic gun which comprises a motor, a rotating element driven aboutan axis of rotation by said motor, sear moving means having an actuatingarm constructed and arranged to be movable in an axial directionrelative to and into the path of said rotating element. and movableradially bysaid rotating element to actuate said sear moving means and amanually releasable latch constructed and arranged to hold said armwhen'moved by said rotating element. i

1 11. Control mechanism for actuating a breech block releasing sear ofan automatic gun which comprises a motor, a rotating element drivenabout an axis of rotation by said motor, a sear moving means having anactuating arm con-' structed and arranged to be movable in anaxialdirection relative to and into the path of said rotating element andmovable radially by said rota ting element to actuate said sear movingmeans, alatch constructed and arranged to hold said arm, whenswung'radially by said rotating element and manually controlled means torelease said latch and move said arm out of the plane of rotation ofsaid rotating element.

HENRY TREVASKIS.

